"This is a significant heatwave for Queensland. Some places will see these conditions last for up to a week," he said.

He said some parts of the state might experience the highest temperatures on record.

In Windorah, in the state's south-west, 46C is forecast for Monday.

Temperatures in Longreach are expected to reach 45C on Monday and Tuesday, well in excess of 40C west of the divide.

The Queensland Ambulance Service has advised people to stay out of the heat in the middle of the day and rest up.

Clinical director Tony Hucker said sometimes Queenslanders carried on life as usual in hot weather because it felt normal.

"We're in Queensland, so it's warm all the time," he said.

"But we need to be careful when it spikes, and that's the real challenge for us because we just don't expect it.

"The real challenge with heat-related illness is that it sneaks up on you.

"You just don't know it's coming because you think you're OK and think, 'Oh, look I'm just a bit tired worn out' and if you let it go you can dehydrate and get very sick and in the worst scenario it can be fatal."

In her resignation from politics, Kelly O'Dwyer said she feared another miscarriage in Canberra, far from home. Her announcement is shocking for more than just party-political reasons, writes Emma A. Jane.